New book features historic tales of hauntings throughout Ohio

FRONT PAGE PHOTO: The Yelverton Cemetery north of Belle Center is on land that once was part of the Zahller Farm where a poltergeist was said to have haunted the area in the late 19th century, as documented in a new book by Chris Woodyard. (EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES)

A poltergeist still may be roaming somewhere near the Yelverton Cemetery north of Belle Center on what was formerly known as the Zahller Farm.

At least there was one in 1880, according to an author who makes her living by unearthing the darker secrets of Ohio’s past.

Chris Woodyard recounts that tale among numerous others in her newly released The Face in the Window: Haunting Ohio Tales.

Slightly different than the Haunted Ohio book series Ms. Woodyard has written, the new Ghosts of the Past series takes stories printed in old newspapers and recounts the details along with some commentary by the author.

The Zahller Farm story was taken from an 1880 article titled “Bugaboo Business” that appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

According to the tale, some of the Zahller children were out collecting blackberries when one of them spotted what appeared to be a gnomelike creature jump over a fence and disappear.